The people whose seals are on the covenant

Nehemiah 10:1-39

1 "On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abidjan, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. 9 And the Levites: Joshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10 and their brothers, Shebaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10 and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rebob, Hashbiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah. 28 "The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statues. 30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. 32 "We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house our God: 33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 We, the priests the Levites, and the people have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law, 35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord: 36 also to bring to the house of our GOD, to priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; 37 and to bring the first of our dough and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. 38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. 39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are as well as the priests who ministers, and the gatekeepers and the singers. we will not neglect the house of our God."




Thinking and Understanding
The names of those who signed the new covenant with God are recorded. Governor Nehemiah, the priests, the Levites, and the leaders of the people signed the covenant. The remaining people also vowed to follow God's law and their names too were recorded. This shows that anyone can make a covenant with God, but the covenant itself cannot be made just any which way. The covenant has to be followed by a life of specific and practical action.



Who is God?
God made a covenant with every member of the community. it wasn't just the priests who made a covenant with God; everyone participated in the covenant, including the temple workers, women and children. Let's remember that God has made a covenant not just with the 'clergy' but with us too.



What lesson is God teaching us?
Every aspect of our lives is important. Obeying God's word does not mean living a vaguely religious life ; rather, it requires specific and practical decision-making and action in every aspects of our lives-social, economic and religious. Are there any aspects of our lives that we believe are unrelated to our faith? if we were to follow God's will in those aspects of our lives, what might need to change?
(Daily Bible 03/04, 2019)